Tejas Vadali “You get a car! You get a car! You get a car!” The familiar lines of one of daytime television’s most esteemed celebrities, Oprah Winfrey, may soon become “My fellow Americans.” A potential presidential campaign from Winfrey begs the question, “Should normal people be allowed to run for president.” Now, by no means is Oprah an everyday person, as her 2.9 Billion dollar net worth and philanthropic impact indicate, but in this context, “normal” really only means someone without political experience. My first requirement for a president is ample life experience. In this regard, I simply mean that the candidate must have worked for at least twenty years. Work experience gives a candidate more of a reputation as a wise and good decision maker. As a country, we have to face that we are changing, and our political figures, those to whom we look to lead us in times of triumph and turmoil, should be those we can trust to be responsible and respectable. Oprah unfortunately had a very rough childhood, yet she overcame all of her perceived obstacles. Her story has inspired countless people not only in this country but around the world. The level of trauma that Oprah experienced when she was younger only strengthened her, and it definitely made her more experienced in life. Her powerful and inspirational story has riveted many, and it would only rivet more if she were to make a political run. The only other mandate is that the candidate has significant knowledge in a pertinent field to the presidency. For example, I would be fine with a lawyer, veteran, business person running for office, as people with experience in those positions would hopefully have experience arguing for the country’s welfare, understanding the cruelty of war and how to prevent it, as well as managing the nation’s finances respectively. In this regard, I feel that it is very fair to say that Oprah has ample knowledge in her field. She has spent twenty-five seasons traveling to different parts of the world learning about what she is the best at understanding: people. Oprah is such a people person that her infectious smile and bubbly personality can bring levity to most situations, and it most certainly increases her viability as a candidate. As Abraham Lincoln said, this country is a government of the people, by the people, for the people, and it should remain that way. For too long, politics has been dominated by career politicians, and I think we as Americans are well overdue for a change. Similar to the electoral college, the government assumes that “everyday Americans” have no clue about the candidates for whom they are voting, but it’s actually the contrary; with the advent of the internet has come a new era of information in which more people keep up with current political situations. Clearly, “normal” people should be able to run for president, but only time will tell if anything really changes.]]>